ROUX: Add flour to ¾ cup melted bacon grease in large heavy skillet and stir well to blend. Cook this over low medium heat stirring constantly until it becomes a dark mahogany rich brown color. This will take 20 to 30 minutes and it must be watched continuously and you must continue to stir until finished or flour will burn.

Alternate method of preparing Roux: I take the flour and brown it on a high fire while stirring constantly until it is a rich brown. I make the roux by then adding the brown flour to the bacon grease and then I just add the processed vegetables. I use brown flour a lot in gravies and soups so I have a big container of brown flour always available. (My mother browns 5 lbs. of flour in advance in her oven and then keeps it in the freezer for whenever she needs it. Both methods of making a roux work well but you just have to make sure it is good and rich brown.

VEGETABLES: Process the onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic in a food processor. Add sausage and the processed ingredients to the roux and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring constantly to sauté the vegetables. Set this aside.

BOIL WATER: While preparing the roux and vegetables start the 3 quarts water to boiling in a large Dutch oven or Gumbo pot at least 6 Qt. Size. Add beef bouillon to boiling water to create a beef broth. Combine roux mixture to boiling broth and stir. Reduce heat and add bay leaves, thyme, tomatoes, tomato sauce, sugar, salt, Tony’s seasoning, and tobasco to boiling mixture. Simmer on low heat for 1 hour. At the 45 minute mark, add 2 teaspoons file to gumbo and stir.

OKRA: While the gumbo is cooking, cook the okra in a large frying pan with the 2-tablespoon of vinegar for about 15 or 20 minutes. Drain the fat off the okra and set aside.

CRABMEAT,SHRIMP,OKRA : After the gumbo has been cooking for about 1 hour, add crabmeat, shrimp, okra, and Worcestershire sauce. Cook for about 45 minutes more after adding these last ingredients. At the end add 2 more teaspoons of file.

Serve over rice.

Comments from Edgar:The gumbo can be frozen or refrigerated and many people like it better the next day. Bon Apetit!

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